The subject matter disclosed herein relates to exhaust diffusion with an exhaust plenum flow splitter.
A quality of aerodynamic performance of an exhaust diffuser is at least partially functionally related to an amount of exit loss exhibited by the exhaust diffuser as fluid flowing through the exhaust diffuser enters an exhaust plenum from a diffuser exit. Where the exhaust plenum is relatively large, these exit losses tend to increase and aerodynamic performance tends to decrease.
It is, therefore, useful to maintain a relatively small size of the exhaust plenum space for cost and material gains. As a result of this reduction of space, however, a back pressure may develop that leads to flow reversal at the diffuser exit and may lead to other types of potential performance losses besides those described above. In particular, recirculation caused by flow reversal may percolate downstream from the plenum and subsequently balloon to thereby reduce an effective flow area through which the fluid can proceed and thus hinder diffusion.